Ingot car and dumper



April 19, 1949. w. FARIS INGOT CAR AND DUMPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 29, 1946 INVENTOR 8y W000 Far/s H15 ATTORNEY April 19, 1949. w.FARlS 2,467,970

INGOT CAR AND DUMPER Filed Aug. 29, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jig. 2.

INVENTOR W000 Far/s BY L H15 ATTORNEY April 19, 1949.

W- FARIS INGOT "CAR AND DUMPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1946 W000For H/J ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,4

INGOT CAR AND BUMPER Wood Full, mm, M0 Application August 29, 1948,Serial Nata/I64 greatly reduced and delays in the operation of theblooming mill due to breakdown of such ingot car and dumper are almostentirely eliminated.

These and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparentin the following description.

In the transfer of heated ingots from the soaking pit to the receivingconveyor roll table of the blooming mill it has been customary to employan ingot car having at its forward end a pivoted ingot holder or pot inwhich the ingot is placed in upright position after being lifted out ofthe soaking pit by the charging crane. The ingot car is then advanced atan appreciable speed toward the end of the roll conveyor until thepivoted ingot holder contacts a fixed bumper. The momentum of the carand ingot function, when the ingot holder contacts the bumper below itspivotal axis, to overbalance the ingotand holder and, in effect, tothrow the ingot upon the table. It will be appreciated that the shock tothe ingot car and its parts and also to the bumper is most severe, sincethe ingot itself will ordinarily weigh in the neighborhood of 18,000pounds. Such shock is necessary to the operation, since it is reliedupon to tip the ingot, in spite of its being placed an appreciabledistance on the stable side of the pivotal axis of the holder. Then,too, such design requires that the ingot after having attained ahorizontal position shall fall a distance on the order of 18 inches ontothe table.

The present invention provides an ingot car and dumper which functionsto turn the ingot from a vertical to a horizontal position and todeposit it upon the conveyor table in a manner 4 Claims. (CI. 21442)since the ingot fails a relatively short distance tlliereon after it hasreached a horizontal posi- The invention is illustrated in a preferredem-- bodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

a Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the apparatusincluding the ingot car and ingot holder, the lngot holder being shownin upright loaded position;

Figure '2 is a view in plan of the apparatus shown in Figure l;

relatively free from shock, the operation being carried out independentof the speed of advance of the ingot car and not depending upon anyimpact between such car and a fixed member, such as a bumper. Thus, thewear and tear upon the car and its attendant parts is much less thanFigure 3 is a view in vertical cross-section throughthe portion of theapparatus in the vicinity of the ingot holder, the ingot holder beinshown at the dumping station and tipped to discharge the ingot inhorizontal position on the conveyor table.

The ingot car 2 of the present invention is designed to run upon tracks4 from aposition adjacent a soaking pit (not shown) to a position inwhich its forward end lies adjacent to the. rear end of the bloomingmill receiving conveyor table, indicated generally at 6, such conveyortable includes multiple parallel rolls 8, power driven by means notshown.

The ingot car is provided with two wheels III on a forward truck and twowheels II on a rear truck, the forward wheels being driven by means ofan electric motor I2 driving into the reducing gear box it through driveshaft II. The output shaft from the gear box drives the axle, to whichwheels II are afllxed, through the medium of the bevel gear and pinionset l8, more clearly shown in Figure 2. The motor I2 is equipped with asolenoid brake 20. 'Control of the motor in the forward and reversedirections, and the application and disengagement of the solenoid brake.are eifected by means of. conventional motor starting, stopping andbraking controls (not shown).

The ingot car is provided on its forward end with two spaced parallelarms 22 projecting generally parallel to the length of the car and tothe tracks 4. The forward ends of arms 22 are provided with bearings 24which support ingot holder 26 through the medium of the trunnions 28afllxed thereto. The ingot holder is in the form of a shallow box havingan open rear side, so that an ingot 32 in upright position may be stablyplaced therein when the ingot holder is in the upright position shown inFigure 1. The trunnions 28 are positioned generally equidistant from theby contact of its forward face with the horizontal cross member 34 atthe upper edge of the forward wall of the holder.

To reduce shock to the ingot car when the ingot is charged into theholder, and to restrict movement of the holder in a counterclockwisedirection about its pivotal axis, there is provided on the car aforwardly extending shelf 36 which carries spaced aligned springs 38retained thereon by suitable holding means engaging their lower ends.The rear bottom edge of the ingot holder is provided with a foot 40extending thereacross, such foot resting upon the upper ends of springs-38, which, together with trunnions.

28 and bearings 24, and guide wheels 44, presently to be described, bearthe weight of the holder and ingot. It will be apparent that springs 38are compressed to cushion the holder when an ingot is. charged therein.

Positioned on the forward face of the ingot holder 26 near the oppositesides thereof are two spaced parallel arms 42 projecting in a forwarddirection. On the forward ends of such arms are-mounted the guide Wheels44 riding upon the spaced parallel fiat tracks 46 which extend back asuflicient distance to support the ingot holder in upright positionthrough the entire extent of travel of the ingot car except for thatportion immediately adjacent to the roll conveyor table. At such portionthere is provided an inclined guide pocket 46, having inclined tracksmade up of hardened inserts 50 lying in the same vertical planesrespectively as the two tracks 46. Two upper guide members52, which areparallel to each other and to members 50, and are correspondinglyspaced, define a passage receiving the guide wheels 44, as shown inFigure 3, with but a slight amount of play. The guide pocket is made up,as will be apparent, by the spaced parallel plates 56 which are affixedto the ends of the table beams 54, on one end, and to the end ofthestructure supporting tracks 4 and 45, on the other.

When the ingot car is advanced toward the conveyor table to such anextent that Wheels 44 begin to travel down the inclined track members50, the ingot holder tips gradually, since the. centers of gravity ofthe holder, and of the holder and ingot, lie to the right of thetrunnions, thereby tilting the ingot holder and the ingot held therein.Travel of the car is slowed at this point orbefore it, so that the carcomes to a stop when the holder is fully tipped. There is thus no impactbetween the ingot car and a fixed member, such as a bumper, and theingot is shifted smoothlyfrom a substantially vertical position to ahorizontal position, tending generally to pivot about its lower forwardedge during such travel. During this time, of course, the ingot carcontinues to advance and the ingot holder continues to turn in aclockwise direction. The ingot does not, therefore, fall freely but isrestrained to a great extent in its travelas it approaches the rollers8, by the cross member 34 of the inset holder. Thus the shock upon theconveyor table is relatively small as compared to that inherent in thedescribed prior designs.

After discharge of the ingot from the holder the car is reversed in itsdirection of travel. Thereupon the guide wheels 44 travel up and out ofthe guide pit, restoring the ingot holder to its upright position whenthey reach the flat level track 46.

The delivery conveyor table is provided with an inclined guard 68 todeflect scale falling of! the ingot when it is deposited upon the tablefrom the guide tracks and guide pit for wheels 44. The guide" pit isprovided with an opening (not shown) in the bottom thereof, whereby itmay be flushed when necessary by use of high pressure water sprays.

Having thus fully described and illustrated the preferred embodiment ofthe improved ingot car and dumper I desire to claim as new thefollowing.

What I claim is:

1. In the combination of a conveyor table and an ingot delivery car anddumper travelling toward and away from the table to convey an ingot inan upright position and then to tilt it and deposit it in horizontalposition on the table, the improved ingot car and dumping mechanismwhich comprises an ingot holder for supporting an ingot, said holderhaving a bottom upon which the bottom end of the ingot rests when theholder and ingot are in upright position, means mounting the holder onthe forward end of the car confronting the table, said holder mountingmeans permitting tilting of the holder about a horizontal pivotal axisfrom a horizontal to a vertical position, resilient stop meansprojecting from the forward end of the car adjacent the holder, guidemeans on the holder, and a longitudinal guide on a fixed part of thesupporting structure, the resilient stop means, guide means and guidecooperating to maintain the holder upright throughout its travel exceptin the portion adjacent the table and to tilt its top portion toward thetable when it reaches a location adjacent the table, said guidecomprising a horizontal straight portion remote from the table andaligned therewith and an inclined portion adjacent the table.

2. In the combination of a an ingot delivery car and dumper travellingtoward and away from the table to convey an ingot in an upright positionand then to tilt it and deposit it in horizontal position on the table,the improved ingot car and dumping mechanism which comprises an ingotholder for supporting an ingot, said holder having a bottom upon whichthe bottom end of the ingot rests'when the holder and ingot are inupright position, means mounting the holder on the forward end of thecar confronting the table, said holder mounting means permitting tiltingof the holder about a horizontal pivotal axis from a horizontal to avertical position, a shelf projecting from the forward end of the carbeneath the rear lower edge of the holder, means on such edge of theholder normally spaced from the shelf when the holder is forming a stopmeans cooperating with the shelf to maintain the ingot in uprightposition, resilient means positioned between the shelf and the stopmeans on the holder, guide means on the holder, and a longitudinal guideon a fixed part of the supporting structure, the guide means conveyortable and and guide cooperating to maintain the holder uprightthroughout its travel except in the portion adjacent the table and totilt its top portion toward the table when it reaches a locationadjacent the table, said guide comprising a horizontal straight portionremote from the table and aligned therewith and an inclined portionadjacent the table.

3. In the combination of a conveyor table and an ingot delivery car anddumper travelling toward and away from the table to convey an ingot inan upright position and then to tilt it and deposit it in horizontalposition on the table,

the improved ingot car and dumping mechanism which comprises an ingotholder for supporting an ingot, said holder having a bottom upon whichthe bottom end of the ingot rests when the holder and ingot are inupright position, means mounting the holder on the forward end of thecar confronting the table, said holder mounting means permitting tiltingof the holder and ingot supported therein about a horizontal pivotalaxis lying closely adjacent a vertical plane transverse to the line oftravel of the holder and through the center of gravity of the ingot froma horizontal position to a vertical position of the holder, guide meanson the forward end of the holder, a longitudinal guide on a fixed-partof the supporting structure for the car, a shelf projecting from theforward end of the car beneath the rear lower edge of the holder, stopmeans on such edge of the holder normally spaced from the shelf when theholder is in upright position, the shelf and stop means cooperating tomaintain the ingot in upright position, and springs positioned betweenthe shelf and stop means; the relationship of the parts being such thatwhen the ingot holder is in upright position the springs exert amaterial force between shelf and 'stop means, thereby cushioning theholder and insuring maintenance of the guide means in contact with theguide, the guide means and guide sustaining a portion of the weight ofthe holder and ingot and cooperating to maintain the holder upright 1throughout its travel except in the portion ad-' jacent the table and totilt it toward the table when it reaches a location adjacent the table,said guide comprising a horizontal straight portion remote from thetable and aligned therewith and a portion inclined downwardly toward thetable adjacent the table.

4. In the combination of a conveyor table and an ingot delivery car anddumper travelling on tracks toward and away from the table to convey aningot in an upright position and then to tilt it and deposit it inhorizontal position on the table, the improved ingot car and dumpingmechanism which comprises an ingot holder for supporting an ingot, saidholderhaving a bottom upon which the bottom end of the ingot rests whenthe holder and ingot are inupright position, the said bottom of theholder being so constructed and arranged as to tilt the ingot somewhattoward the table when the holder is upright, means mounting the holderon the forward end of the car confronting the table, said holdermounting means permitting tilting of the holder and ingot supportedtherein about a horizontal pivotal axis lying closely adjacent but tothe rear of a vertical plane transverse to the line of travel of theholder and through the-center of gravity of the ingot from a horizontalpositionto a vertical position of the holder, guide means comprising aforwardly and downwardly directed arm on the forward end of the holder,spaced vertical guide wheels supported on the forward end of such arm,parallel longitudinal guides along which the guide wheels travel on afixed part of the supporting structure for the car, the car having ashelf projecting from the forward end of the car beneath the rear loweredge of the holder, stop means on such edge of the holder normallyspaced from the shelf when the holder is in upright position, the shelfand stop means cooperating to hold the ingot in upright position, andsprings positioned between the shelf and stop means, the relationship ofthe parts being such that when the ingot holder is in upright positionthe springs exert a material force between shelf and stop means, therebycushioning the holder and insuring maintenance of the guide means incontact with the guide, the guide wheels and guides sustaining a portionof the weight of the holder and ingot and cooperating to maintain theholder upright throughout its travel except in the portion adjacent thetable and to tilt it toward the table when it reaches a locationadjacent the table, said guides each comprising a horizontal straightportion remote from the table and aligned therewith and a portioninclined downwardly toward the table adjacent the table, the guidewheels on the holder lying a substantial distance forward of the pivotalaxis of the holder, the inclined portion of each of the guides includingparallel top and bottom members between which the corresponding guidewheel is received and positively guided.

WOOD PARIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES rams

